1.5 Expectations for This Book

Writing an introductory guide to the Internet is in some ways a task destined to fail -- at least it will fail to satisfy readers who expect definitive descriptions that will apply year after year. We are working with a moving target, a world that is in the volatile and transformative early stage of life (and that's what we like about it). Be suspicious of anyone who claims to know the Truth of the online world, who presumes to reveal all of its secrets. We claim only to describe as best we can the parts we know well -- as they exist now while we write this book.